


The Care of Little Dwarflings

by mage_girl



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, Little!Fili, Pre Hobbit, Thorin is the bestest uncle, family love, family togetherness, feels all over, little!kíli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 17:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2820017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mage_girl/pseuds/mage_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dis is sick from the flu, she summons Thorin and asks him to take care of her sons while she recovers.</p><p>Thorin would rather face a hundred wargs but he is the leader and Kili and Fili's uncle.</p><p>He finds that his companions are more than able to help him with this task.</p><p>And that taking care of his young nephews yields riches he'd not discovered before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Care of Little Dwarflings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yewfairy and ichijoukenichiro](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=yewfairy+and+ichijoukenichiro).



> This is a special gift to my two secret santa recipients on Tumblr... it was a fantastic event I participated in and I enjoyed being their secret santa!
> 
> Yewfairy and ichijoukenichiro, enjoy!!!
> 
> A very special thank you to my wonderful beta, gamerfic! :)
> 
> Happy Solstice, everyone!!!

Thorin absolutely did not run to his sister’s house when he received the note in the middle of a meeting between representatives from the Iron Hills and his own council of dwarves. He’d recognized the handwriting immediately; the Khuzdul shapes hadn’t changed much from childhood.

He leaned over to whisper into Balin’s ear. ‘Dís needs me. I must go.’

Balin nodded and then announced to the group at large that they’d talked all morning and there was lunch to be had; perhaps they could reconvene in the late afternoon if all were inclined?

The dwarves were pleased and scraped back their chairs as Bombur appeared to escort the dwarves to the dining hall. He’d made a large lunch worthy of kings and Thorin privately made note to thank him for his loyalty.

In the meantime, he nodded at Dwalin and Balin, who came with him, their presence enabling Thorin to reach Dís’s house in record time.

He opened the door and peered in. The house was dark and the air smelled stale. Balin bustled in and opened up a few windows while Dwalin went around and lit the lamps.

Thorin nodded in approval and then headed back to Dís’s bedroom, worried. It wasn’t like Dís to leave her home in a state of disarray. 

He halted at the door, looking in and seeing why things weren’t as well ordered as he was used to in his sister’s home.

Dís lay on the bed, the quilt up to her chin. Handkerchiefs were strewn around her and a large mug was on her nightstand. She opened her eyes when Thorin came into the room and smiled up at him, wearily.

‘How long have you been ill?’ asked Thorin, feeling her forehead. She was burning hot to the touch.

‘It just came on all of a sudden last night. I haven’t felt this miserable in a long time,’ whispered Dís.

Thorin called for Balin, who came to the door, saw Dís, and immediately took the large mug.

‘I’ll get some fresh cold water in here. And I’ll have Dwalin get Óin,’ said Balin, ignoring Dís’s murmurs of protest. ‘We’ll take care of everything, Dís. You’re only to concentrate on getting well.’

‘And where are the boys?’ asked Thorin, looking around. 

‘They’re in their room for now,’ answered Dís. ‘I didn’t want them to catch this...I managed to feed them breakfast but had to lie down after that. I sent you that note so you could come and take care of them for me.’

‘I...’ Thorin blinked, slowly. ‘The boys don’t know me that well,’ he muttered, knowing it for an excuse but saying it, anyway.

Dís smiled. ‘Then they will get to know you. Dáin loves children. They might bring some levity to the bargaining table.’

‘I cannot bring them to the meetings, Dís,’ exclaimed Thorin. He groaned when he saw Dís’s smile widen. She was always adept at teasing him.

‘I’m sure one of our friends could watch them during the day. You can watch them during the evening and at night, of course. I know they will be in good hands,’ said Dís calmly, meeting Thorin’s eyes with confidence.

Thorin didn’t have quite the same confidence. He’d only spent some time with Fílí and Kílí. They were mysteries to him, little dwarflings who would stare at him from behind Dís’s skirts or creep up to gaze at him, tentative fingers on his knee. Family was important to Thorin but his obligations to his people kept him busy. 

Still, if Dís was sure he could handle two little dwarflings, then he should be able to do so. He’d hunted Orc packs and hewn Warg after Warg in the middle of battle. Surely taking care of two little dwarflings would be easy, compared to that?

Balin came back into the room, interrupting his train of thought, with Óin hot on his heels. Balin set down the mug of cold water next to Dís. Óin settled next to Dís on the bed. He glanced up at Thorin and shooed him off with movements of his hands.

Thorin snorted with amusement. ‘You get well. I’m sure Óin will take good care of you. I’ll take good care of the boys.’

‘That’s my big brother,’ said Dís with a sigh. ‘Thank you.’

Thorin gave Dís a kiss on her forehead and left the room, walking down the hall to the boys’ room. He could hear the sounds of playing and smiled to himself. He could handle a little playing. 

His smile froze when he walked into the room. Fílí was standing on top of the dresser, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Kílí was wobbling dangerously on the small stack of boxes he’d pushed together.

‘I wanna be the dwagon, Fee! You gotta be the dwagon all the time!’ cried Kílí, balling his small hands into fists.

‘You can’t be the dragon, Kílí. You get to be Uncle Thorin!’ cajoled Fílí, wrapping the blanket tighter around himself.

‘I don’t wanna be Unca Towin! I wanna be the dwagon!’ repeated Kílí, stomping his foot. The boxes quivered dangerously before giving into Kílí’s weight.

Thorin swept into the room and picked Kílí up before he fell off. Kílí giggled as Thorin swooped him up into his arms and gave Kílí a kiss on the top of his head.

‘Uncle Thorin!’ cried Fílí, launching himself off the dresser without any warning.

Thorin caught Fílí with practised ease and slung him over his shoulder. Fílí giggled as Thorin walked out of their bedroom with him and Kílí in his arms. He went into the front room where Dwalin was waiting.

Dwalin raised an eyebrow when he saw them but only held out his arms for Kílí. Kílí went into Dwalin's arms and patted Dwalin's face with his hands. ‘D’alin! D’alin! I’m hung’y!’ exclaimed Kílí.

‘We ought to see what sort of food Bombur has left, then, what do you say?’ asked Dwalin, poking Kílí in the middle of his stomach, teasingly.

‘Bom! Bom!’ cried Kílí, bouncing up and down in Dwalin’s arms.

Óin came out of Dís’s bedroom, smiling. ‘She’ll be fine. I’m going to stay the night, though. I want to give her medicine for the fever and something to ease the cough. I’ll let you know if there’s anything I need,’ he said to Thorin.

‘Good. I’ll be at the house, then. We’ll stop in at the dinner hall first to feed these two,’ said Thorin.

‘Sounds good. Go on, then. Little dwarflings get mighty testy if they don’t have food in their tummies,’ said Óin, smiling at Kílí and Fílí.

Thorin nodded and then, sharing a look with Dwalin, they walked out of the house with the small dwarflings in their arms.

*****  
Balin caught up to them as they entered the dining hall. ‘I wanted to talk to Dís a little and let her know we have everything under control.’

Thorin raised an eyebrow. ‘Do we? Because as soon as these two are fed, they’ll be up for getting into mischief. I must meet with Dáin and his representatives from the Iron Mountains. Ori can’t take care of them as he’s doing scribe duties. Dwalin and you are also out as you’re _my_ representatives. That leaves Bofur and Bifur.’

‘Also, Glóin and Nori. I believe those two are free,’ replied Balin.

‘That’s four grown dwarves taking care of two small dwarflings. What could possibly go wrong?’ asked Thorin.

Balin shook his head, mournfully. ‘Ah, laddie. You did it now,’ he murmured.

*****  
Later on, Thorin would recall the next three days with horror and amusement. Fílí and Kílí were more than enough for four dwarves to handle. Thorin’s respect for his sister grew as he was forced to fix problems that ranged from Kílí pulling Fílí’s small moustache to both of them pilfering the cookies from Bombur’s cookie jar. 

One highly entertaining day featured Thorin bringing Kílí and Fílí to the meetings because Bofur and Bifur had obligations that day, Nori was needed at the meeting to represent the guild, and Glóin had to represent the bankers. 

Dáin found himself with a dwarfling on either side, both piping up whenever they didn’t understand what was going on, which was often. Dáin claimed that they were worthy heirs to the line of Durin. Thorin decided to ignore the smirk and twinkle in Dáin’s eyes when Dáin remarked that he had never understood the negotiations as well as he did with Thorin’s young nephews at his side.

Now, however, Óin reported that Dís was well enough to have her sons back with her, so Thorin took his nephews back to her, ignoring the sinking feeling in his heart. It was after dinner time and his nephews had eaten their fill. He walked slowly, holding on to their hands.

‘Unca Towin?’ asked Kílí.

‘Yes, Kílí?’ replied Thorin, looking down at the dark-haired dwarfling. Kílí wanted to spend every waking minute with his uncle. He would climb into Thorin’s lap whenever possible and twist his tiny fingers around Thorin’s beard. 

‘Are you gon’ see us again?’ asked Kílí, his voice trembling.

Thorin stopped walking, kneeling down to look at his nephew. Kílí’s lip was trembling as well and his eyes were dark with unshed tears.

‘Of course I will, Kílí. You are my nephew. I would never stop seeing you or Fílí,’ said Thorin.

‘But...but you’re always busy. And you might forget for a long time,’ protested Kílí. Fílí nodded, his normally cheerful face somber.

‘I am busy. And I do forget things from time to time,’ admitted Thorin. ‘But I know spending time with me is important to you and Fílí. And I will do my best to remember.’

Fílí took Kílí’s hand and tugged him along, glancing back at Thorin. Thorin frowned slightly; he had the feeling he’d made a mistake, but he didn’t know where, and he wasn’t sure how to fix it.

He followed the boys the short distance back to their home. Fílí opened the front door, helped Kílí through, and gave his uncle an undecipherable look as he left the door open.

Thorin walked in, shutting the door behind him. Dís was sitting in the front living room near the fireplace. Someone had obviously built up a day’s worth of logs and kindling and had set a match to it. The fire was just the right size and made the room feel cosy and warm.

Kílí ran to his mother and climbed into her lap, burying his face against her neck. Fílí stood at her side and leaned against her, smiling as her fingers carded through his long blond hair. 

‘I see my boys are still in one piece. And I’ve heard they charmed Dáin. Have they been too much for you, Thorin?’ asked Dís. Her voice was hoarse, but the colour was back in her cheeks and face.

Thorin thought back over the past couple of days. It took a lot of energy to take care of his nephews. He found he needed the help of all his company, but he also found that it brought them all closer together. They ate meals together in the dining hall. They took turns playing with Kílí and Fílí. Bofur and Bifur made some exquisite dwarven toys for the boys. 

And when it was time for bath and bed, it was Thorin they wanted by their side. He became particularly adept at handling wriggling, mischievous dwarflings, slippery from the bath. He learned how to comb Kílí’s hair just right so it wouldn’t snarl. He taught Fílí how to make his first braids. 

Thorin found he loved tucking them into bed at night, reading a story or two and watching them drift off to sleep. Kílí would curl up next to Fílí and Thorin would pull the covers up over the two of them before leaving the bedroom.

Most mornings, he found himself sharing his bed with his nephews who had mysteriously migrated there sometime during the night. Fílí would be burrowed under his arm, his toes poking into Thorin’s side. Kílí would be draped over his chest, his fingers curled around Thorin’s beard (again!), sound asleep.

Thorin would lie there for a moment, letting the soft sounds of his nephews’ breathing wash over him. The sun was warm on the bed and he was reluctant to move. He’d been on the move so much in the early days. Now, even though they’d settled in the Blue Mountains, he still was on the go from dawn to dusk. His nephews gave him the excuse to slow down. 

‘No...they were not too much for me, Dís,’ replied Thorin, reaching over to cup Kílí’s head with his hand and tousle the dark, silky hair.

‘I knew you would watch over them just fine. Perhaps…’ Here, Dís paused, as if she had to search for what she wanted to say.

Thorin raised an eyebrow. He’d known this trick of old. He waited for her to speak, not giving her the satisfaction of blundering forward.

Dís smiled at him. ‘Perhaps you would not be adverse to having them stay over once a week? They will get to know you and you can begin instructing them on their duties as heirs. I’ve never seen you so relaxed, Thorin. You’ve worked so hard for all of us. Perhaps it’s time for you to reap the fruits of your labour.’

‘If I recall correctly, you were the one labouring. Twice,’ said Thorin, with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

‘See? You can joke, now. And I think that my sons would benefit from seeing you on a regular basis. I know them. They’ve grown quite attached to you and your company. How many toys have Bofur and Bifur made for them _this_ time?’ asked Dís.

Thorin barked a rusty laugh and sat down in the chair opposite his sister. Fílí climbed into his lap right away, with Kílí but moments behind his brother. Thorin settled both of them with practised ease. 

‘Would that be all right, my nephews? You could come over once or perhaps twice a week when things aren’t so busy...give your mother a bit of a rest and you can help me with things. What say you?’ asked Thorin.

‘Truly, Uncle Thorin? You wouldn’t mind?’ asked Fílí , his eyes bright.

‘Not at all,’ said Thorin, truthfully. He was already planning in his head the next story he’d tell his nephews at bedtime.

Kílí tugged on Thorin’s beard, his fingers clutching the beads interwoven in the hair. ‘Unca Towin, you like us?’ he asked, studying Thorin’s face intently.

‘Ah, Kílí. You are my kin. My heirs. It goes stronger than like. It’s a family bond that will last forever,’ answered Thorin, gruffly.

‘Fo’eve’,’ breathed Kílí, his face lit up with awe. He nestled next to Thorin, burying his face into Thorin’s beard and laughing when the strands tickled his nose.

Thorin patted Kílí’s back, gently, and pressed a kiss to Fílí’s brow. He looked up to see Dís smiling at him, proudly.

‘What?’ he asked, not quite meeting her eyes. He wasn’t blushing, the room was just a little warm. He might be coming down with whatever had made Dís sick.

‘Nothing, brother mine. Nothing at all,’ replied Dís. She settled back into her chair, content. 

Thorin gave her one last mistrustful look, rolled his eyes at her snicker, and leaned back in his chair, adjusting his nephews more comfortably.

They sat, talking back and forth to each other, the boys nodding off to sleep in Thorin’s arms, the fire slowly dying down to embers. When Kílí started snoring and Fílí flung his arms out, signaling deepest sleep, Dís took Kílí from Thorin’s arms. Thorin followed her down the hall with Fílí flung over his shoulder.

They tucked the dwarflings into their own beds, although they knew Kílí or Fílí would do their usual night time routine. They would gravitate towards sleeping in one of the beds sometime during the night. Thorin kissed each of his nephews on the forehead before following Dís out of the room.

He paused at the door, looking back at his sister who stood nearby.

‘Good night, Thorin,’ said Dís. ‘Thank you.’

Thorin swallowed. ‘It was nothing, Dís. Thank you,’ he said, softly. He gave her a kiss on her cheek, nodded, and walked out, shutting the door behind him. The night was quiet and the air was sweet with the scent of night-blooming flowers. Thorin walked to his house, thinking of what he and his nephews could do the next time they came to visit.

He went inside, lit the fire, and sat in his chair, smoking a pipe. It was quiet, peaceful. There were no little voices to interrupt his thoughts, no little fingers tugging at his clothing or his beard for attention. It was _too_ quiet.

Thorin found he could hardly wait until he could see his nephews again.


End file.
